Summary of WFP assistance:
As a result of conflict in late 2013, WFP launched an emergency operation in 2014 to provide immediate and regular food assistance to save the lives of people at high risk including displaced persons within the conflict affected states, conflict affected residents, and displaced persons in Protection of Civilian sites and IDP centres. The crisis has affected both men and women; women and girls are prone to adopt negative coping strategies such as transactional sex to obtain food while young men, unaccompanied or separated children are at risk of recruitment into armed forces. WFP food assistance for vulnerable people has often been the only way of survival and reduction of risk of negative coping strategies. WFP is providing general rations to affected households and specialised nutrition products for children below 5 years, pregnant and nursing women enrolled in the targeted and blanket supplementary feeding programmes. Central to the operation was the establishment of the 'Integrated Rapid Response Mechanism' which involves mobile teams deployed to hard-to-reach areas. A reinforced approach to nutrition activities was agreed with UNICEF to combat malnutrition.
WFP developed its relief operation before the conflict, to help usher the country from emergency assistance to longer-term recovery activities. Activities include cash and food assistance for assets; nutrition interventions for children below 5 years, pregnant and nursing women; food for education, and general food distribution, which are implemented in the seven states considered 'nonconflict.'
The targeted supplementary feeding programme was also implemented in the conflict affected states in 2014.
The Purchase for Progress (P4P) initiative aims to build capacity of farmers' organisations to be better market players; it has also contributed to providing an assured market for smallholder farmers. When needed WFP constructs warehouses complete with basic equipment, such as pallets and plastic sheets, and provides trainings on post-harvest management, storage and warehouse management, and commodity quality testing.
WFP operates the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) on behalf of the humanitarian community, providing safe and reliable air transport to thousands of humanitarian personnel. The Feeder Roads operation is dedicated to linking farmers and communities to markets and basic services as well as to reducing transportation costs and improving delivery efficiency. Through the Logistics Cluster, WFP supports the humanitarian community by providing logistical expertise, coordination and transportation of humanitarian cargo. The Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster, which WFP co-leads with FAO, is dedicated to coordinating the food security sector nationally to ensure the most efficient response to food availability and access issues. The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) provides necessary telecommunication services where basic infrastructure is limited.